Velocipede-horse.



D. H. MARKMANN.

VELOCIPEDE HORSE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-2.1916.

Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

nin s'ra vELocIPEnE-Ho nsn To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. MARK- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Velocipede-Horses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to velocipedes of the type that consist of a toy horse provided with wheels and with a propelling mechanism that is adapted to be operated by the rider of the horse.

The main object of my present invention is to provide a velocipede horse in which the head .is mounted on the neck in such a man ner that the head can be turned sidewise, to change the direction of travel of the velocipede, without changingthe position of the neck, thereby imparting a life-like appearance to the head and neck portions of the horse. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is aside elevational view of a velocipede horse constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is anenlar-ged sectional view of the neck and head portions of the horse.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line l -l of Fig. 2; and

F ig.'5 is a perspective view,-illustrating a slight modification of my invention.

I have not herein illustrated the propelling mechanism and the means for operating the legs of the horse, as the same form no part of my present invention.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred formv of my invention, A designates the body portion of the horse, D designates the neck and E designates the head, the body portion being'mounted on a pedestal F carried by a truck G provided with front and rear wheels H and I, respectively. The neck D is integrally connected to the body portion of the horse and the Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Feb.'; 27, 1917.

Application filed August 2, 1916. Serial No 112,748.

head E is mounted on the neck in such a manner that said head canbe turned to the right or to the .left,'s0 as to change the direction of travel of the truck G, said head being rigidly connected to a vertically-disposed steering shaft 1 whose lower end is connected to. the front axle 2 on which the front, Wheels H of the truck are mounted. It will, of course, be obvious that the truck G could be provided with knuckles for tl e front wheels H and in such a structure the steeringshaft would, of course, be connected by means of a drag link or other suitable device tothe knuckles, so as to cause the position of thefront wheels to change when the steering shaft is turned.

In the preferred form of my invention, as herein shown, the head E is provided at its upper end 'with a rearwardly-projecting portion 3 that'lapslover the neck, as shown in F ig. 2, said portionB being rigidly connected to the steering shaft 1 in any suitable manner, so as to. cause said shaft to turn when the headE is moved to the right or to the left. The lower portion of the head is spaced away from the portion of the neck in front of which it lies, and if the neck is' substantially oval-shaped in cross section, as shown in Fig. 3, the rear side of the lower portion of the head will be provided with a concave recess 7,:as shown in Fig. 3, that conforms approximately to the shape of the front side of the upperportion of the neck, thus imparting a life-1i ke appearance to the head and neck portions of-thehorse. The rearwardly-projecting portion 3 at the upper-end of the head is preferably of cylindrical form, as shown in Fig. i, and it is seated in a socket 4 formed in the head, the side walls of said socket partially surrounding the portion 3, as shown iirFig. 4. It is not essential, however, that the rearwardly-projecting portion at the upper end 7 of the head which laps over the neck be seated in a socket in the head, for if desired, the head may be provided with a rearwardly-projecting portion 3, as shown in Fig. 5, that is seated in an open notch is formed in the upper portion ofthe neck. 1

By forming the head and neck portions of the horse in this manner and connecting the head rigidly to the steering shaft 1, I have produced a toy horse that presents a very life-like appearance, owing to the fact that the head can be turned to the right and to the left, so as to change the direction of travel of the elocipede without disturbing the neck or causing the position of the neck to change. If desired, the joints between the cylindrical portion 3 on the head and the side walls of the socket 4 in the'neck which receives said portion can 1 e covered or hidden from view by pieces 5 of braid or leather that form part of the bridle on the head of the horse, as shown in Fig. 1. It is, of course, immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, what means is employed for guiding and holding the steering snaft- 1 into position, but I prefer to have said shaft extend upwardly through the neck, as shown in Fig. 2, and have the lower portion of said steering shaft pass through cross piece m on the frame of the truck. If the truck is provided with a front aXle 2 that turns, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the steer ing shaft 1 can be securely connected to said axle by nuts or other suitable fas-ztening devices 2 and one or more nuts'2 can be mounted on a screw-threaded portion of said shaft below the cross pieces of the truck, so as to form an adjustable stop on the steering shaft which supports the weight of the truck G and the parts carried by same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is:

1. A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion provided with a neck, a head arranged in front of the upper portion of the neck and separated from same by a substantially vertically-disposed joint so as to enable the head to be turned without changing the position of the neck, and a guiding device for the velocipede connected to the head in such a manner that the direction of travel of the velocipede will change when. the head of the horse is turned. 7

2. A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion provided with a complete immovable neck, a head arranged in front of the upper portion of the neck and projecting forwardly therefrom, said head being adapted to be turned sidewise without effecting a change in the position of any portion of the neck, and a guiding means for the velocipede connected to the head so as to cause the direction of travel of the velocipede to change when the head is turned.

A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion, an immovable neck on. said body portion, a movable, head having its lmver portion, arranged in front of the upper portion of the neck and spaced away therefrom so that the head can be turned sidewisc without disturbing the neck, and a guiding dcvic for the velocipede connected to the uead. at. A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion, an immovable neck on said body portion, a movable head provided at its upper end with a part that laps over the neck and having its lower portion spaced away from the neck, and a steering device for the velocipede rigidly connected to the part of the head that'laps over the neck.

A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion, an immovable neck on said body portion, a steering device projecting upwardly through the neck, and a head having its lower portion separated from the neck by a substantially vertically-disposed joint and its top merged into the upper end of the neck, said head being connected to said steering device and combined with the neck in such a manner that the head can be turned sidewise without effecting a change in position of any portion of the neck.

(5. A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion provided with a complete neck having a recess in the upper end of same, a complete head provided at its upper end with a rearwardly projecting portion that fits in said recess, and a steering device for the velocipede connected to the rearwardlyprojecting portion on the head.

7 A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion provided with a stationary neck whose front side is convexed, a movable head whose. lower portion is provided at its rear side with a substantially concave recess that conforms approximately to the shape of the part of the neck in front of which it lies, and a steering device for the velocipede connected to the head in such a manner that the direction of travel of the velocipede will change when the head of the horse is turned sidewise.

8. A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion provided with a stationary neck, a movable head separate and distinct from said neck and provided at its upper end with a rearwardlyprojecting portion of cylindrical shape, a socket in the neck that receives saidcylindrical-shaped portion, and a steering device for the velocipede connected to the cylindricalshaped portion 011 the head.

9. A velocipede horse, comprising a body portion provided with an immovable neck having a socket formed in the upper end of same, a head provided with a rearwardlypro ecting portion of cylindrical shape that fits in said socket, a false bridle on the head. having portions that hide the oints between the cylindrical-shaped portion on the head and the socket in which said. portion fits, and a steering device for the velocipede cou nected to the cylindrical-shaped portion on the head.

10. A velocipede horse, comprising a body Wheels for said truck, and a Steering shaft for said front Wheels that projects upwardly through the neck and Which is connected at 10 its upper end to the part on the head that I fits in the recess of the neck.

DANIEL H. I MARKMANN.

portion, a truck on which said body portion is mounted, a stationary neck on said body portion provided at its upper end With a recess, a head provided with a part that fits in said recess and having its lower portion spaced away from the part of the neck in front of which said portion lies, front Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

